IDP Rankings 2014 Fantasy Football
IDP has become a fixture in many fantasy leagues these days and is often the part of the fantasy game managers need the most insight into when preparing for draft day. Our strategy for IDP is almost always the same and that is draft them late as your league mates are probably not as well researched as you are and there is a ton of value to be had after the ‘brand names’ come off of the board.
At defensive end we have at least 15 other rock solid defensive ends behind JJ Watt and a handful of defensive tackles behind Geno Atkins that are worth rostering as DL1’s depending on your league size. Our favorite here is Chandler Jones behind J.J Watt but he is no longer flying under the radar and will be a top five defensive lineman off the board in most draft rooms. Owners should note that rookie Jadeveon Clowney currently qualifies as both a defensive end and a linebacker.
At linebacker we have loads of talent starting with LaVonte David and Luke Kuechly to last years tackle leader Vontaze Burfict to the always reliable Paul Posluszny. This year we like Paul Worrilow and Alec Ogletree as potential LB1’s while rookies like CJ Mosley, Ryan Shazier and Khalil Mack look to make an impact along with number one overall pick Jadeveon Clowney.
Defensive back is often the hardest position for us to project as banking on interceptions is quite simply a fools errand. The top of our rankings are filled with safeties who rack up linebacker tackle numbers as opposed to the elite cover men of the NFL. If your league has a CB designation we suggest number two corners playing opposite a top tier player as he will be targeted more and have more of a chance for tackles, the same goes for starters who are simply out of their depth and are targeted relentlessly by opposing signal callers thus leading to higher tackle numbers. Some leagues are considered big play leagues where sack and interception leaders dominate the fantasy scoring but most seasoned leagues look for some balance where a season as dominant as JJ Watt’s 2012 tops the fantasy scoring yet still rewards the consistent tackle producers.
As always knowing your leagues settings is very important as it pertains to who will top your cheat sheet, but we generally suggest a LB-LB-DE strategy unless you just have to have Watt, Jones or Quinn.
When it comes to IDP we always study over at Pro Football Focus and pay special attention to Jeff Ratcliffe who is the person we look to to get that extra edge.
Without further adieu here are our constantly updated 2014 IDP Rankings:
